Blinkless CNN Debate Coverage

Feb. 20, 2008, 11:29PM
Blinkless debate coverage
CNN has horde of cameras to note each nuance from Clinton or Obama

By DAVID BARRON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

CNN will have 10 cameras to catch every word, twitch, smile, laugh, glare or grimace from Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama — and, for good measure, anything noteworthy that crops up from the audience — during tonight’s Democratic presidential debate in Austin.Alec Miran, senior executive producer of special events for CNN, has worked six of CNN’s eight debates during the primary season and has been working live political events since the 1984 campaign season. So while he’s looking to capture the obvious, he’s looking for unusual touches as well.

“There are moments you don’t want to miss,” Miran said. “At our last debate in Los Angeles, Wolf Blitzer asked Obama and Clinton if they would consider being a joint ticket, and Stevie Wonder, in the second row, jumped out of his seat.

“It’s like one of those moments at a baseball game where the ball takes a weird bounce and goes someplace you’re not anticipating. Sometimes, shooting a debate is about what one person is saying, and sometimes it’s about how the other person is reacting.”

Miran will have two handheld cameras to track the interaction between the candidates, plus two cameras on cranes and a ceiling camera to capture the ambience of the audience at the University of Texas’ Recreational Sports Center.

CNN’s Campbell Brown will moderate, and questions will be posed by CNN chief national correspondent John King and Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos, who will ask questions in English and Spanish.

John KingJorge Ramos

CNN’s coverage of the Jan. 31 Democratic debate in Los Angeles drew 8.3 million viewers, a record audience for a primary debate on cable.

The previous record was 4.9 million for the Jan. 21 Democratic debate in South Carolina. The top-rated Republican debate drew 4.48 million viewers on Nov. 28 on CNN.

The Texas debate will air from 7-8:30 p.m. on CNN and CNN International and also will air in Spanish on KXLN (Channel 45) beginning at 10:30 p.m.

Univision is soliciting questions for Ramos to ask via its Web site at Univision.com and also will air the debate on KLTN-FM (102.9) at 10:30 p.m.

david.barron@chron.com